Spanish-American War…Remember the Maine became
our battle cry.
One event stood out in this short war—Commodore
George Dewey’s seizure of Manila Bay in the
Philippines. On May 1, 1898, he steamed into Manila
Bay and ordered, “You may fire when you are ready,
Gridley.” Dewey’s resounding victory destroyed
Spain’s naval power in the East and was instrumental in
quickly ending the war.
Shortly after the Battle of Manila Bay (fig. 5-8),
U.S. naval forces at Cuba cornered the Spanish Atlantic
Squadron at Santiago Bay. On the morning of July 3,
1898, the Spanish squadron tried to break out of the bay
and was completely destroyed. Cuba and Puerto Rico
fell shortly afterwards, effectively ending the war.
REVIEW 3 QUESTIONS
Q1. List the naval developments during the last part
of the 19th century.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Q2. After the development of the ironclad, what was
the Confederate Navy’s next achievement?
Q3. During the Civil War, the U.S. Navy’s first
admiral gave the famous order, “Damn the
torpedoes! Full speed ahead.” List the admiral’s
name and battle where he gave the order.
Q4. Describe how Alfred T. Mahan influenced naval
strategy.
5-14
Student Notes:
Figure 5-8.—Battle of Manila Bay.
